Jiuxi

Chapter 981 979 [My Path is Not Alone]

Two days later, in a house in the southwest of the new city.

Lu Jiusi was playing happily in the courtyard. He would be three years old in more than three months, and now was the time for him to be lively and active. He looked obviously healthier and stronger than other children of the same age.

After all, his grandfather was number one on the martial arts list, his mother was ranked among the top five in the world at a young age, and his father was a famous commander with great talent. No matter what achievements he could make in the future, at least he would not have to worry about his physical strength.

Under the corridor, Lin Jie and his daughter Lin Xi sat on rattan chairs, enjoying the quiet family happiness.

"It seems like Lu Chen and Xu Zuo had a good talk?"

Lin Jie asked casually, his eyes still fixed on Lu Jiusi not far away.

"That's probably it."

Lin Xi smiled and said softly, "Junior brother thinks highly of this right prime minister. Firstly, he really needs to find enough support among the civil officials. Secondly, he thinks Xu Zuo is smart and capable, and not pedantic. He is a person worth fighting for."

"This kid..."

Lin Jie seemed to have realized something and smiled, "At the beginning, I didn't expect that he could achieve what he has today, and this is just the beginning. Things are unpredictable. When I led the Lin family to become bandits, I never expected that one day my daughter would become the queen of the country."

Lin Xi said nervously, "Dad, what are you talking about?"

"What's the big deal about family members talking about this? Is there anyone in this world who can eavesdrop on the conversation between you and me, father and daughter?"

Lin Jie was calm and composed, and then continued: "Lu Chen has no room to retreat now. If he takes a step back, he will die and his family will be destroyed, and countless people he cares about will be affected. In my opinion, everything this kid is doing now is to create as little killing as possible and strive to complete the last step at the lowest cost. If he establishes a country and becomes emperor, who else can be the queen except you? Not to mention that you gave birth to his eldest son, how much have the Lin family and the Seven Stars Gang paid for him over the years? For his foundation, my old bones have been guarding the mountains for several years, and now I have to sit in this city and cannot leave even a step. Don’t I want to accompany Jiusi to grow up?"

Lin Xi said helplessly: "Dad, you know that's not what I meant."

Lin Jie knew his daughter's temperament very well. He was just joking at first, but now he couldn't help but turn his head to look at Lin Xi, frowned slightly and said, "You really don't want that position?"

Lin Xi said: "It's not that I want to or don't want to, I just think the most important thing for a family is-"

"Xier."

Lin Jie interrupted her and asked in a serious tone, "Have you discussed this with Lu Chen?"

Lin Xi shook his head.

Lin Jie felt relieved, and then he slowed down his tone and said, "You have been gentle since you were young. Even though your father forced you to travel far and wide, you still can't change your kind nature. I am very satisfied with Lu Chen because he put his foundation in the hands of the Seven Stars Gang and placed the Firearms Army under the Seven Stars Army. This means that he is constantly increasing your bargaining chips, thus ensuring your position as the eldest wife. Xier, you have to know that this has nothing to do with the love between husband and wife, but that only you can form a balance in that position, understand?"

Lin Xi sighed softly: "I understand."

"The Li family has deep roots in the military, not to mention the Wang family. Even though the Zhailin Wang family seems to be in a miserable situation now, as long as Lu Chen takes the last step, old foxes like Wang An will naturally take advantage of the situation. The Wang family has a foundation of nearly a thousand years in the north, which is terrifying."

Lin Jie no longer concealed his feelings at this moment. He said clearly: "Only when you are the main wife, your ideal scene of a harmonious family will appear. This is how things are. You can't get what you want, because you, the daughter of the Wang family, the daughter of the Li family, and even Lu Chen himself, are not alone. There are countless ties and influences around you. Only when you hold the initiative in your hands can the situation develop in the direction you want. You need to learn this from Lu Chen."

After a brief silence, the hesitation in Lin Xi's eyes disappeared, and he raised his head slightly and said, "Dad, don't worry, I know what to do."

"now it's right."

Lin Jie smiled heartily, then stood up and walked towards Lu Jiusi.

"Grandpa, how about riding a horse?"

"Okay! Come!"

Lin Xi looked at the happy grandparents and grandchildren, and a touching smile appeared on her lips.

……

"No! Absolutely not!"

In the lobby of the North City Academy of Classics, Xu Zuo kept shaking his head, looking unhappy.

If Lu Chen hadn't given him too many surprises in the past few days, he would have refuted it seriously by now - after all, he dared to do so in front of Li Duan that year. Even though he restrained his temper, he still frowned deeply and said: "Prince, this move is really... really inappropriate, it will shake the foundation of the country!"

Lu Chen's long speech had made him thirsty and he drank two large bowls of tea. Now that Xu Zuo opposed him, he immediately lost his temper and said bluntly: "What's wrong? I think you are worried that you can't explain to all the scholars in the world and that you will be cursed. Don't worry, I will carry out this matter alone. If those scholars have the guts, they can come and curse me, but they can't curse you, Prime Minister Xu."

Jiang Hui stood obediently by the side. The level of these two people was too high, so even if they started arguing, it would not be his turn to interrupt.

After hearing Lu Chen's heart-piercing words, Xu Zuo calmed down and asked, "Does the prince think that the imperial examination system is only established for scholars?"

"Is not it?"

"of course not!"

Xu Zuo said this in a decisive tone, and then explained very patiently: "Your Highness might as well think about it. How did the court select officials before the imperial examination? Hereditary succession, payment of wealth, military merit, recommendation, selection, favor, etc. These methods emphasize closeness of relationship, which makes it impossible for the vast majority of ordinary people to be promoted. This is also one of the factors in the formation of aristocratic families. The aristocratic families further expanded their influence through marriage, thereby controlling the power of the court and even being on an equal footing with the royal family." After hearing this, Lu Chen gradually understood and his emotions began to calm down.

Xu Zuo continued, "It is precisely because of the emergence of the imperial examination system that ordinary people have the opportunity to serve the court, and it also allows the royal family to find a way to check and balance those prominent families. If we go back two hundred years, Emperor Gaozong would never have the opportunity to tear a hole in the web woven by the nine great families in Jiangnan, because the aristocratic families today are much weaker than they were before, and this is precisely the credit of the imperial examination system."

Lu Chen thought for a moment, nodded and said, "That makes sense."

Xu Zuo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was indeed a little worried that Lu Chen would get stuck in a dead end.

However, Lu Chen was not a man who gave up easily. He asked politely, "Is there really no hope for my proposal to be realized?"

This was the source of the dispute between the two.

At first, Lu Chen introduced the role of the Academy of Classics, and Xu Zuo and Jiang Hui nodded repeatedly. Unexpectedly, Lu Chen suddenly turned to the reform of the imperial examination system. He said that after the court moved the capital, the imperial examination system would be reformed, and an agriculture and an engineering subject would be added on the basis of the original classics subject.

In short, in Lu Chen's conception, the imperial examination of Da Qi will be divided into three categories in the future. In addition to the original scholars who are immersed in the words of sages, there will be talents in two fields, and the quotas for admission will be allocated according to a certain ratio.

It is foreseeable that once the idea of ​​Lu Chen is announced, huge waves will arise across the country.

Xu Zuo said solemnly: "Prince, can I ask you a few questions?"

"You ask."

"First, there is no need to say much about the subjects of classics and ethics. What standards are used to set questions for the subjects of agriculture and engineering?"

"Of course, the questions will be based on the research progress of the Agricultural Affairs Bureau and the Military Affairs Bureau. I hope to gather talented people from all over the world to work together to solve the problems faced by these two places."

"So there is no clear standard?"

"The standards need to be formulated gradually, and they will certainly be vague at the beginning. But as long as someone has something to say and has a certain understanding of agronomy and engineering, I think they can be given a chance."

"Okay, let's put this aside for now. Secondly, there are so many scholars in the world, but only a few have actually come into contact with these two subjects. Should the court gradually open relevant schools and formulate corresponding textbooks to give young people who are interested in this a chance to learn? If schools are to be opened, where can the court find enough teachers now?"

Lu Chen fell silent upon hearing this.

Xu Zuo continued to ask: "Third, for thousands of years, scholars have been learning the words of saints, and all officials in the court are the same. Now the court suddenly wants to establish a new doctrine. Can they accept it? Will it shake the foundation of the court?"

"Taoism?"

Lu Chen frowned and asked, "Will this involve a dispute over the orthodoxy?"

Xu Zuo sighed, "Prince, I know you are planning for the country and the people, but please believe that I have no selfish motives for this matter. Since the saintly tradition was established more than a thousand years ago, there have been disputes, and the disputes over the tradition are more fierce than wars! I have seen many ideas in this city that benefit the country and the people these days, and I admire you very much. That's why I hope you won't be too eager for success. Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish, and all aspects must be taken into consideration. Please think about it carefully."

After a long period of contemplation, Lu Chen slowly let out a sigh of relief and said calmly, "I was too anxious, please don't be offended, Mr. Xu."

"It doesn't matter."

Xu Zuo pondered and said, "It's best not to force this matter. At least we should wait until the Agricultural Affairs Institute and the Bureau of Military Affairs come up with some results, and then gradually create an impact in the streets, and then reflect it to the court in a bottom-up way. The court will then promote some officials by means of conscription. When this time comes, the court can open schools in various places. When relevant talents begin to emerge, it will be a natural thing to set up imperial examinations to recruit scholars. Even at this time, I think we must guarantee the number of students in the Classics and Interpretations Department, and we can use additional special examinations to alleviate the resistance of scholars. After two or three times, it can probably become a regular practice."

Lu Chen looked at him steadily.

Seeing this, Xu Zuo asked, "What do you think, Prince?"

Lu Chen smiled and said, "Prime Minister Xu, I suddenly feel a lot more relaxed with your help."

Xu Zuo and Jiang Hui also laughed.

After the laughter stopped, Xu Zuo said with emotion: "These few short days seem like a big dream to me. Prince, I will set off south tomorrow to facilitate the relocation of the capital as soon as possible."

Lu Chen was surprised and asked, "So urgent? Why not stay a few more days?"

"No need."

Xu Zuo stood up and said to him in his concerned gaze, "I am already 46 years old this year, and I still have more than ten years to live. The prince's many ideas made me feel as if I had regained the excitement when I first entered the officialdom. I only regret that time flies and time does not wait for me."

Lu Chen was quite moved. He glanced at Jiang Hui who was standing beside him with a serious expression, and stood up and said, "Okay, I'll wait for good news in Heluo."

Xu Zuo said no more and bowed.

Lu Chen returned the greeting.

There were certain topics they didn't talk about from beginning to end.

And from this moment on, there is no need to talk about those things.

(End of this chapter)